Fandom life, one day at a time

My Comic Picks for 3/16/16

It’s time again for my comic picks for the week! While it’s a fairly big week, I don’t have that many titles. Here’s my top six picks!

Star Wars: Kanan #12

If you hear wailing in the distance that sounds like a dying banshee, that’s probably me. I’m devastated that the Kanan series is ending. It’s my favorite Star Wars comic. Back in September, I reviewed it as the best Star Wars comic that had been running at the time. It was so good that it made me finally watch Star Wars: Rebels, because I wanted to know more about Kanan. Now, I’m an avid fan constantly talking about it in my Clone Wars podcast and doing weekly instant recaps on tumblr.

What’s so smart about this comic is Marvel and Lucas Films did an excellent job syncing the show with this title. For example in the episode “The Protector of Concord Dawn,” Kanan refers to the Third Battle of Mygeeto. That battle was featured in the issue that came out the same day as that episode. It was a stroke of genius on their part.

I’m so upset that Kanan is ending. I hope we at least get a Hera, Sabine, Ahsoka, or Rex series out of it. I particularly want a series about how Ahsoka and Rex escaped Order 66 and the Siege of Mandalore.

Huck #5

Mark Millar has truly written a fresh new take on the superhero genre. Huck is a fantastic read, and I fell for this sweet man in issue one. It’s reminiscent of Superman comics, except Huck is actually interesting (sorry, I’m not a Superman fan). Last issue was crazy giving Huck his origin. There was also a betrayal at the end. I’m excited to see where it will go.

Monstress #4

Coming out of a one month hiatus, this has been a heck of a good series! Already being hailed as the next Saga, Monstress is a thrill to read every month. Marjorie M. Liu’s writing balances revenge while dealing with the dark beast within. I think the demon in Maika is her other half feeding on her negative thoughts as she searches for her mother’s killer, but that’s just my theory. Sana Takeda’s art is breathtaking as every stroke and splash of color captures the turmoil of this world. It brings to life a steampunk, Asian influenced story filled with magic and Kaiju. Plus, that little half fox girl is adorable!

It’s important to support women in comics. The atmosphere is changing as new and diverse people are coming into sequential art. This is a fascinating time to be a reader.

Spider-Woman #5

This comic has been a wonderful ride for me. I’ve never been that big of a Spider-Woman fan, but Dennis Hopeless is writing one of the freshest takes on the character in a long time. Jessica is balancing motherhood with beating the crap out of baddies. We’ve already seen her breastfeeding last issue. This progressive take is on her is exciting. I hope that we’re paving the way for more female characters having stories like this.

Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems #1

I love Steven Universe. The comics are fantastic as they fill in adventures between the episodes. It’s a great way to keep fans occupied until the next “Steven Bomb.” I missed the first run of this title, so I’m excited to get my hands on this one. Steven Universe is a hot comic in my store. I can already predict reordering it this week.

My Little Pony: Friends Forever #26

Don’t judge me. I’m a woman, and I love My Little Pony. Shining Armor issues are the best, because they always show a new side to him. In the show, he’s Twilight Sparkles’ brave knight of a brother. In the comics though, he’s a total nerd. There was an entire arc about him playing D&D, reading comics, and then trying to clean up his act to win Cadence’s affection. She loved him for being the dork he was. They’re always fun reads!

Honorable Mention:

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3: I’ve reviewed this series before. It’s a great character comic on Poison Ivy. I just really hate the trashy covers. This is a story about her mind and a personal journey trying to get a second chance. We don’t need Ivy’s breasts hanging out for fanboys to get their kicks on.